Clemens vs. Martinez pitchers show off October baseball at its best

BOSTON {AP} Babe Ruth pitched at Fenway Park in the World Series. So did Christy Mathewson, Bob Gibson and Grover Cleveland Alexander.

And still, this might be the most fascinating matchup ever at the 87-year-old ballpark.

Roger Clemens vs. Pedro Martinez.

"I just hope it lives up to that hype," New York Yankees manager Joe Torre said Friday, a day before Game 3 of the AL Championship Series. "I have a sense it will."

A combined six Cy Young Awards between them, and surely a seventh on the way soon for Martinez. So much more, too, on a fall afternoon in October enough to make this a dynamic duel for the ages.

Clemens back on the mound he once ruled, trying to lead the Yankees to a record 13th straight postseason victory and extend their 2-0 edge over Boston.

"It is not business as usual," he said. "I will have so many emotions I'll have to curtail somehow."

Martinez, the new king of the hill, is hoping the Red Sox stop a 10-game ALCS losing streak and revitalize their chances in the best-of-7 series.

"I am not going to change my game because there is more pressure or less pressure," he said. "I hope he puts a lot of pressure on himself."

Even during Friday's relaxed workouts, there was a buzz at the ballpark because of the buildup.

Martinez led the majors in wins (23) and ERA (2.07) and topped the AL with 313 strikeouts. Clemens was just 14-10 with a 4.60 ERA, but carries a huge reputation.

"'If you take a Koufax against Marichal, that would be something of this magnitude," Red Sox reliever Rod Beck said.

Only once before in the ALCS or NLCS have two former Cy Young winners started against each other. That was in Game 3 in 1974 when Oakland's Vida Blue beat Baltimore's Jim Palmer by, appropriately, a score of 1-0.

Baseball fans have been treated to plenty of other attractive matchups in postseason play.

In the 1968 World Series, 30-game winner Denny McLain of Detroit faced Gibson, who had a 1.12 ERA for St. Louis.